


Jekyll and Hyde

by Rookmoon



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2016), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Different Relationships, Human Experimentation, It kind of goes with the mutation, Multiple Endings, Mutation, Nicknames, Other, Reader is a sassy little shit, Reader is re named, Reader is resiliant, Snark, Some Swearing, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, genderless reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-02-02 18:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12732099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rookmoon/pseuds/Rookmoon
Summary: Reader is kidnapped and taken to the lab of Baxter Stockman.When they are assigned a name, they decide to mess with the doctor a bit.They bite off more than they can chew, but the name sticks better than they thought it would.





	1. Into The Depths

     Dr. Stockman left the lab before quietly giggling to himself. He had found another subject worthy of his experimentation. Another fine addition to his growing army of mutants. He walked down a separate hallway lined with cages big enough to fit bears easily within their steel enclosures. His experiments groaned and wept in their cells, begging to be fixed, to be released. They yearned to breathe free air again, but Stockman did no such thing. He walked to the back of the hallway, and opened a door.

     The light inside was bright, but the doctor was more than used to it’s glare by now. His newest subjects waited inside.

     “The Doctor has arrived,” He announced.

     “Dr. Jekyll. I’m ever so glad you’re here.” A lone voice greeted him. He scowled. He was nothing like that crazed scientist from that book. He was brilliant!

     “Who said that?” He demanded, “Come forward and face your punishment!”

     “What are you going to do, Dear Jekyll?” The voice asked, not bothering to hide the bite behind the words, “Kill me? Disfigure me? Leave me to die?”

     One of the new subjects stepped forward. They seemed like nothing more than a child to him, but he could see something stirring behind their eyes. A wicked smirk danced on their face as they stared the scientist down. Stockman swallowed, daring to meet this teenager’s flashing eyes.

     “What is your code?”

     “Why don’t you guess. I’ve already given you a hint.”

     Dr. Stockman didn’t hesitate to snatch the twine that held the name card that this subject was assigned. He found that he wasn’t surprised at all. In deceptively careful print was the word HYDE. He looked at his subject, and smiled. His mind was already thinking up wonderful ways to make this child pay for his new nickname.

     “Please, come this way,” His voice dripped thickly over the silence that had fallen during their staring contest. “I’ve got something special in mind for you.”

     “Of course, Dr. Jekyll.”

     Stockman smothered a growl. He could already tell that this name was going to stick no matter what he did. He opened the door for the child, letting the people in the room hear the terrible groans and growling of his previous tests. The teen, to their credit, didn’t flinch and walked into the dark shadow of the future.

     Jekyll led his victim into the false safety of his lab and began the next experiment. This last one must be perfect, for he knew that Hyde would only stay for so long.

     The childish screaming echoed off of the walls, silencing the cages and rattling the door beyond. There was no going back now. Darkness closed over Hyde’s new form, leaving their old name behind in the din of new senses. The only thing left, a simple string with a name, and the fiery spark of knowledge behind those bright eyes.

     Jekyll had a special cage for this one, separate from the others. He couldn’t touch the spark of their soul, but he could make it believe that it was alone, in spite of the lesser experiments crying on the other side of the wall. Jekyll cackled as a storm began to brew.

     Days later, Shredder came for the newest batch of mutants. They sang praises as he walked through the hall of cages leading to the lab when he promised them employ in the free world. He opened the doors to find Stockman, his personal fly on the wall, going over notes again.

     “Stockman,” Shredder’s quiet voice sent shivers down Stockman’s back. Jekyll lets manic giggles flood his mind. “Give me the next batch of mutants.”

     “They- They’re in the hall, sir.” He had given up on his sensei long ago. He would never be allowed to set foot in the states again. It all started when he was in New York, and then he was sent to this strange prison. He didn’t let his eyes slide to the supply closet he had re-purposed into another pen for a particularly special subject.

     “Good,” Shredder’s turn was as threatening as everything else he did, “Ready them for their flight.”

     Stockman hurried to obey, knowing that the consequences of hesitation leave his prospects grim. Shredder watched, fascinated at the wide variety he saw. There is a bee woman, and a small porcupine child. He smiled as they shrank away from his scientist. Whispers of ‘Jekyll’ made him almost want to laugh. Almost.

     “Why do they call you Jekyll.” Shredder demanded, feeding his small curiosity in this strange development.

     “One of the prisoners called me that, and now the others won’t stop.” Stockman muttered, bitter towards the figure slinking in the shadows alone.

     Once the cages rest in a cargo hold going to America, and the hall is filled with new cages, Stockman sighed. He watched his warden fly away with his most recent work, leaving him alone with his most successful creation. The first permanent mutant he has been able to create since those two muscle bound meatheads he worked on in New York. He laughed, knowing that the rest will be back to normal a few days after being exposed to natural sunlight.

     Jekyll went back to translating his notes, thinking about the best way to take the world from his master. First, he needs to get more of this most interesting ooze that his master had given him to replicate. Small doses would only go so far for him, and his stock was starting to run thin. If he wants to re-engineer the correct reaction in the mutagen, he needs more time, and a lot more of the ooze.


	2. Taking Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyde is taken from the room by Shredder and given yet another life.  
> Time passes and Hyde finds themselves in a strange position.  
> They aren't alone, and they are presented with a choice.
> 
> There's only one answer.

     Jekyll’s lab is visited again later that month by his master, Shredder. He came without warning, and caught the scientist leaving his special project lying drugged on the floor. Shredder doesn’t hesitate to toss him aside to get to Hyde. The experiment that was withheld by the greedy scientist. Shredder ordered Jekyll to be locked away from his precious lab for a while, knowing that without anything to do, Stockman will drive himself mad. What he didn’t know is that Stockman was long gone. Only Jekyll remained, and he was good at keeping this change hidden from his keepers. He saw Shredder drag an unconscious Hyde out of the darkness of the exposed secret room.

     The mutant didn’t put up any fight. Only a twitching finger let Jekyll know that his creation would be awake soon. By that time, it would be too late to get it back. He sighed in his cell as the plane took off, leaving him alone once again. With the mutagen running lower and lower each day, there was only one thing on Jekyll’s mind. He would warp this body the way that so many others had gone. He would escape this prison and find his way out of this madhouse.

\------------------------------------

     Hyde woke to find that the quiet room they were kept in wasn’t the same room they woke up in. The noise of the engine rattled their head and letting them know that they were in a plane. There was no way out that didn’t involve maybe dying, so they stayed put.

     When the plane rumbled down the landing strip, the mutant was wary of the door to the outside door. It remembered the world from before, but Jekyll had made sure to tell them that it (he never called them by their gender. Always ‘it’.) had no place in the world outside. It was dangerous there. It would die out there. Stay here. Safe here. Safe.

     That lab wasn’t safe. Hyde knew that. They knew that Jekyll wasn’t interested in their well being. Otherwise, that madman wouldn’t have left Hyde in the filth of that room for weeks before Shredder came.

     There was no more safety in this strange new world. There was no safety with the walking cheese grater that strolled up the ramp to greet them. Jekyll had said many times not to trust the silver man. Hyde didn’t trust anyone anymore. At least, no one that they had met since being taken from their home. They thought about what Jekyll had said about spiky over here. They recalled Jekyll naming him ‘Shredder’. What kind of pretentiousness is that? Then again, they were kept in the dark in a building where everyone they met was named after a person in a story. Maybe it isn’t as strange as it seemed.

     Shredder approached Hyde and asked for a name. Hyde tried to remember their original name. The one that they had used before their mutation, but all they could think of is Hyde. When they said the name, Shredder nodded, and told them to follow. They slowly made their way down the corrugated metal beneath them and onto the hot asphalt of the city. Their first step on solid ground that isn’t the lab. They paused to squint into the sky and feel the warm sun heating their fur as a breeze whispers adventure in their ears.

     “Are you sure it’s a fox?” A small Japanese woman was standing next to Shredder.

     “It is a red fox. I saw it’s file. There is no doubt.”

     'Well, now I know what that monster turned me into.' Hyde thought as they watched the strange pair interact. They ignored the fact that the stranger and Shredder had used ‘it’.

     Hyde ended up staying with the Shredder for a few weeks before discovering the reason they were made in the dead of night. Their eyes glinted as they looked for their target. They didn’t ask questions, only carried out orders. That is, until now.

     Hyde was hiding next to a vent when they first saw them. They didn’t believe their eyes. Giant turtles. They couldn’t hide the gasp that led the turtles to find them.

     “Dude, look it’s a fox!” an orange one cried.

     “You’re like me.” Hyde whispered. This was the last thing they expected after being told over and over that they are the only one. That they can’t trust anyone because of that. It was a lonely thing that Hyde had been taught to accept.

     “Well, we’re not exactly like you, differing species and all, but we are very much alike, considering that we both seem to be mutants.”

     “How did you get here?” The blue one asked.

     The red one glared, waiting for an answer.

     “I was brought from somewhere far away. I don’t know where, but I was made this way by Dr. Jekyll.”

     “Who’s that?” The orange one seemed excited for some reason.

     “I think his other name is, um, it’s Stockman.”

     “You’re with the Shredder?”

     “Until I can find somewhere to hide, yes.” Hyde confirmed.

     The boys jump into a fighting stance, but the orange one asks a question that shocks everyone.

     “Would you like a new home?”

     “... That place is no home…” Hyde swallows the hope rising in their chest, “Could you give me a home?”

     “No-”

     “You can live with us! We just need to talk it over with our father. I’m sure he’d love to meet you!” The orange one babbles, looking at his brothers with his big blue eyes.

     “How do we know we can trust you?” The red one growls.

     Hyde thinks before saying the same thing they told themselves while confined.

     “I couldn’t trust anyone for the last couple months. The life I live isn’t worth it. If there’s any chance I can make it better, I’ll take it.”

     “Then why work for Shredder?” Red just won’t stop with the questions.

     “It’s better than being kept in the same dark room day after day, not knowing if I’ll live long enough to see another sunrise. Better than living in filth and working for a glorified cheese grater.”

     “What if we can give you something better than the ‘Cheese Grater’?” Blue asks.

     “What would that be?”

     “We can give you a home. A family. Someone you can trust.”

     The hope welling in Hyde’s chest burst, and they turned away from the Shredder and the Foot Clan. Hyde let them know that there was something they wanted to do to the Shredder before leaving for good. They told the turtles their plan, and set a meeting time and place for the next night.

     Hyde returned, and reported no sighting of anything unusual. Later that night, while Shredder was asleep, Hyde broke out of their room and did as much damage as they could as quietly as they could manage. Chunks of wall lay on the floor, ceiling panels torn apart and wiring ruined, chords were ripped from the walls, lying on the floor with their ends cut and frayed. Hyde was looking for one room in particular. In the basement, there lay a computer with files on the Shredder’s targets. Specifically, the turtles. Hyde started a fire, and broke the alarm. There were paper files, as well as backups on the computer, but Hyde didn’t know if there was another warehouse. They would destroy any evidence that their new companions ever existed, and take a shot at the people that stole them from humanity.

     In the dead of night, while smoke rose from the spires of TCRI and alarms blared into the night, Hyde waited for the turtles as they had promised. Their new friends seemed shocked to see Hyde calmly waiting a few miles away from the inferno they had started.

     They allowed Leo to cut the tracking device out of their skin, and disappeared with the turtles without a trace. Shredder knew who had taken them, and he swore revenge on the traitor and the damage they had done.

     Hyde, on the other hand, was talking to Splinter. His sons’ introduction was done with a flourish by Michelangelo, and Hyde found themselves laughing at his silliness. A week later, Hyde was given a space for their room and a bed with all the blankets they could want. They had found a home with the turtles. They were happy spending time with their new brothers, both on the below the surface, and above ground.

     However, fate had more planned for the fox mutant and their new patchwork family when the marking appeared in Hyde’s fur.


	3. Hope of Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikey finds out something interesting. It changes both him and Hyde forever.

     Hyde woke with a start. They didn’t know what was wrong, but they knew that something that had changed while they slept. They came back late last night. The sun was almost peeking over the horizon, and the turtles watched as the rays burst through the dark of night. Hyde stood still, basking in the beauty of the morning sky. It had been so long since they had been able to see it. They didn’t realize just how much they missed seeing the light of day. Their chest swelled with hope. Something they had been lacking recently, in spite of finding a new place to call home. They looked over, and saw the guys staring at them. No one said a word on the way back to the lair, but Hyde did catch Leo rubbing Mikey’s head, congratulating him as they ran over the rooftops, away from the light reaching over the buildings. The cover of the manhole slid into place as New York rose to greet a new morning.

     The guys left to go talk to Master Splinter. Mikey bounced around, looking like he had never been happier. Hyde bid them goodnight, and drifted into sleep.

     When they woke, Master Splinter was sitting in the corner, shadows swathed him in safety as Hyde stretched.

     “Sensei, What are you doing here?”

     “My child, there is much to tell you,” He looked at Hyde, and smiled, “I see the markings have made themselves known.”

     “What markings?!” Hyde jumped up and dashed to an old mirror. Their reflection revealed small golden markings underneath their neck. They traced the intricate threads of light that had imprinted itself onto Hyde’s collar bone, and faded into their shoulders.

     “Do you know what this means?” Master Splinter stood, and placed a hand on the young fox mutant’s shoulder.

     “I’ve never seen anything like this.” Hyde muttered, trying to see past their nose at the little flecks of light.

     “It means you have met the one you are meant to spend the rest of your life with.”

     Hyde looked at Splinter, still not understanding. “You mean, like soulmates? I thought those didn’t exist.”

     “There have been few people who are able to find their soulmate. In humans, they look like birthmarks, or sometimes tattoos,” Splinter explains, “Mutants are a little bit different. In your case, your markings appeared when something meaningful happens. My sons told me about what happened this morning.”

     “Did something happen?”

     Splinter stroked his beard. “I thought you were out later than expected, but I didn’t realize that you had seen the sunrise. When was the last time you saw the sun at all?”

     “I don’t remember,” Hyde thought for a moment, “It was before I was taken to Jekyll, that’s for sure.”

     “And this ‘Jekyll’ is the one who did this to you?”

     Hyde nodded, and sat down among the fluffy blankets they had been given. “So how do these markings work?”

     “Your soulmate has matching markings. They might be a different color, but they are the same. Yours look familiar. I will need to think about when I saw them last. I may be able to help you find the one that matches.”

     There are only a handful of people that Splinter comes across. Hyde knows that it isn’t Casey, or April, saying as the guys had thrown a party when they found out that their markings matched. That and they were both way too old, and not what Hyde is into. Not to mention, people often go out of their way to hide their marks until they find the matching one.

     When they thought about it, the only one they ever felt anything towards is Mikey. Hyde smiled as warm feelings washed over them. They watched their markings flash softly in the mirror when they thought about him. They didn’t know what that meant, but there were ways to find out.

     Hyde left the safety of their room, and into the common area. Mikey was sitting there, watching people do stunts that could end very badly. There was only one way to find out if Hyde’s hunch was right. Take it from the turtle’s mouth. They had already asked the brothers if they had already gotten their soul marks. They have, but they refused to show Hyde, who grew more restless as the day went on.

     “Whatcha watching?” Hyde asked, flopping onto the couch next to the turtle.

     “It’s this thing I found on youtube. Wanna watch with me?”

     “Sure,” Hyde settled, and found that Mikey’s mask and collection of necklaces hid his collarbone from view. If they leaned back a little bit, they could see auburn flecks pulsing against his skin. Hyde tried not to react. So what if they found where the markings were, and the color of the marks. Hyde hurried to squash the hope welling in their chest. That doesn’t mean that he’s mine. I don’t even know how he feels about me. How could I just ask him about that? What if he’s waiting to meet someone else?

     Hyde mulled over their thoughts as Mikey found another video. This one was people doing parkour. Hyde huffed quietly, and Mikey looked over, wondering what was wrong with his friend. Oh, how he despised that word right now. His father had told him not to approach the fox on what happened last night while they were out, and he could feel it tearing at his insides. He shifted a little closer, and felt Hyde stiffen.

     “You know how we were out late last night?” Hyde asked, trying to sound casual, “That was the first sunrise I’ve seen in months.

     “Is that why your marks showed up?” Mikey asked, waiting for the words he ached to hear.

     “I think so… Do you have your own marks?”

     “You bet I do!” Mikey whooped. It wasn’t exactly the words he was told to wait for, but it was close enough. “Do you wanna see ‘em?”

     “Yeah.”

     Mikey moved his mask tails and lifted the necklaces off of himself, revealing the same auburn pattern that traced itself over Hyde’s fur. Hyde felt something warm tingle through their body. The strange sensation pulsed through them from their chest, where their heart was starting beating frantically.

     “Dude, you have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you!” Mikey hugged Hyde tight, squishing them with all the affection he hadn’t been able to give anyone else.

     “I’ve waited a long time for you too, Mikey.” Hyde strained, wanting to hug Mikey, but also needing to breathe. They got Mikey to loosen his grip, so they could hug him right back.

     The rest of the family watched from a darkened doorway, knowing that this would be an exciting step for their little brother. They found themselves hoping for the other half of their own souls as they watched their little brother grow a little bit more.

     That night, Splinter suggested a game night, to celebrate Michelangelo finding the other half of his soul. The others agreed heartily, and Casey and April were brought in as well, carrying games and food for the party.

     The family enjoyed each other’s company for hours, until Casey and April asked after the spare bedroom. Splinter looked at the clock, realizing that it was past four in the morning, and everyone was in need of rest.

     April and Casey ended up sleeping on the pull out bed in the couch, and everyone went to sleep. Hyde found themselves dreaming about Mikey. The two were able to do anything in the safe haven of the dream realm. They dreamt of doing the things that couples would do in the daylight that Mikey and Hyde would never be able to do.

     That was the first day to a brighter future. Against all odds, another pair of unlikely souls found one another, and time marched forward, onto the next adventure.


	4. Invincable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyde bites off more than they can chew and that brings out the protective side of the brothers.  
> After seeing Hyde go stir crazy, Splinter decides that it might be best for Raphael to teach Hyde a thing or two about knitting.

     It started as a fight like most of the others that Hyde had been in. They seemed to be doing fine. They were fighting with the turtles when they saw Raph out of the corner of their eye. He was having a blast fighting their enemies in the only way he knew how. What he didn’t see, or what had Hyde’s blood running cold, was some sort of contraption that was being pushed towards their family. The others were tied up in their own battles, so Hyde threw one ninja and used them to bowl over three others before lunging at the machine that Hyde was sure wasn’t going to do anything helpful for the turtles.

     Hyde saw the thing point at Raph, who finally noticed the death machine that was making a war path in his direction. The muzzle of a giant gun jerked toward him, and Hyde did the only thing they could think of to save him in time. They jumped in the way. The thing blasted concentrated energy through Hyde’s body, and they felt their fur fluff up the way that it did after they towel dried their fur after a shower. The blast left them useless. Their body fell limp on the asphalt and they didn’t hear their brothers screaming. They didn’t see the way that their fighting turned ferocious as Mikey gathered Hyde in his arms and ran like his shell was on fire.

     When Hyde woke, they heard a heart monitor, and the heavy breathing of their brothers, who had apparently refused to leave while they were knocked out. They ran a heavy hand over their face, trying to make sense of their surroundings. They scratched their head, and felt something different on their head. They shrugged it off, thinking that it was fine. If anything, they had gotten scars from that strange machine. They saw the familiar brickwork of the sewers. The boys were slumped over wherever they found room.

     Raph was laying at the foot of the table, with Mikey leaning on his shoulder. Leo was lying back in a chair. His soft snores revealing just how tired he was. Donnie lay in his lab chair, chin propped up on one hand while he slept. Even as they slept, the turtles looked exhausted and weary.

     Hyde didn’t want to wake them. They slowly got up, ignoring the searing pain in their chest as well as the tingling in their limbs, and moved to the heart monitor. It didn’t take long to find out how to turn it off. With the beeping gone, Hyde sighed and removed the device from their skin.

     Their thoughts turned to solutions to this awful aching. A nice hot cup of tea sounded wonderful right then. Hyde was halfway across the room when Donnie’s hand slipped. His head jerked, and he sat ramrod straight. Instantly awake in that strange way of his. He looked around and gasped when he saw Hyde not only awake, but walking around. He knew that they were in no shape to be up, and he didn’t care if Hyde thought the same thing.

     Hyde couldn’t stop his loud questioning in time to avoid waking the others. Leo’s bright blue eyes snapped open, followed by Mikey, who shook Raph awake. Mikey ended up pushing his brother off of the table with a loud thump. Raph rubbed his head and stood to join his brothers in making sure that Hyde wouldn’t try to do too much at once. When they realized that the only reason Hyde was up was for tea, Leo all but ran out of the lab to get it.

     This lead to a few days of coddling from the turtles. If it looked like Hyde would even try to stand up there was always at least one turtle right there to either help them to their destination, or to do things for them. There was a bit of a scare when Hyde found out that there were marks on their head that wasn’t there before, but the turtles had that taken care of in no time flat. Hyde had no reason to leave the lair, or do anything, really. It was nice for the first little while, but after a few days, it was too much. Hyde was getting restless, and the guys could tell. Hyde found themselves snapping more often, looking for reasons to be up for longer than a few minutes.

     Training was out of the question. The turtles were far to vigilant for Hyde to get away with that. Splinter found out about their little problem, and volunteered Raphael to teach them how to knit. That was something they could do that wouldn’t be problematic to their recovery. At least they wouldn’t be trying to walk around every couple of minutes. Splinter spent some time talking to Hyde, knowing that sometimes, a little conversation with someone a little older can help when things get rough.

     Raph walked in a little later holding a basket with knitting supplies carefully tucked inside. He settled down nearby, not wanting to disturb his father while he told stories about when they were young.

     Then Splinter started talking about how Raphael got his soul mark. When Raph tried to interject, it was already too late. He resigned himself to angrily knitting while Splinter told Hyde one of Splinters more fond memories of his hot tempered son.

     Tiny Raphael was a sight to behold with his little shell and determined smirk that always seemed to be on his face, it was the same smirk he still wore as a teenager, and a bandanna on top of his head. The first time Raphael had tried to make something, Splinter was impressed with his son. The child had taken his sai, the weapons he had just started learning to wield, and found a piece of driftwood when they were searching for supplies. Splinter brought it home, and watched as his son turned it into a beautiful work of art.

     He knew that there was a reason he named his sons after renaissance men, but he didn’t know that they had such talent. He noticed something flash on Raphael’s head, and smiled, knowing that his son was meant to create and that there was someone who would love him for who he is.

     “Why ya gotta bring that up, Master Splinter?” Raph grumbled, trying to ignore the burning embarrassment on his face.

     “My son, do you not recognize the pattern on Hyde’s fur?”

     “No, course not.”

     Master Splinter hummed, ‘Maybe you should look in a mirror, my son.’ He thought to himself. He excused himself, and left Hyde with Raph for their knitting lesson. Raphael would figure it out sooner or later. Hyde was bright as well. Surely one of them would pick up on the hint.

     Raphael taught Hyde how to hold the needles, and the knot to start the string. He was surprisingly patient with Hyde. Guiding them as they worked through the knot work and casting on stitches. It took a while, but eventually Hyde had enough stitches cast on that Raph could teach them the next step. The stitches themselves. He showed them how to do the stitches, and chuckled when Hyde tried to copy his slowed down movements, and ended up with a tangled mess.

     Raph helped them untangle the yarn and start over, this time, showing Hyde the motions, and guiding their hands through it a few times. When they got used to the feeling of needles and yarn in their fingers, they started chatting until the early hours of the morning. They joked around, and Hyde tossed the ball of yarn at Raph. It bounced off his head, and innocently rolled on the ground. Raph huffed and tossed it back. The colorful yarn draping itself on Hyde’s head as it tumbled to the ground.

     Hyde fell asleep with yarn all over the bed, a smile on their face, and needles tucked away safe and sound on a table nearby. Raph set his own project aside, and smoothed Hyde’s fur before going to his own room for some much needed rest. He would think about the markings on Hyde’s head, and if he should tell them what they meant.

     The next morning, Hyde managed to stumble out of bed before anyone could stop them. They went straight to the kitchen, where Mikey was cooking.

     “Dude, you’ve got a major case of hedgehog hair,” he chuckled, stirring the scrambled eggs with his usual zest.

     Hyde ran a hand through the fluffed fur on top of their head.

     “Hedgehog?” They yawn.

     “It’s cute. I bet Raph would like it.”

     “What are you talking about?” Hyde dug through the fridge before deciding that those eggs smelled too good to pass up. “I don’t think Raph would have an opinion on my bed head.”

     Mikey just smiled at Hyde. They turned around to see Raphael glaring at his little brother.

     Raph huffed, and Mikey snickered before turning back to breakfast. He winked at Hyde, and shooed them out of the kitchen and towards Raph. Raph looked like he didn’t want company. He looked like he had something on his mind.

     “Hey Raph, What’s up?” Hyde asked, trying to prepare for a rant.

     “There’s somethin I need ta talk to ya about. You got a minute?”

     That wasn’t what Hyde was expecting. “Sure. I’ve got time… Do you wanna sit down somewhere?”

     “You might wanna go to your room for this one. It’s, uh, kind of a big deal.” Raph was already thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. He couldn’t bear any of them.

     Hyde and Raph went back into the needle room, where Hyde had been for most of their recovery. They looked at Raph, and he sighed. He figured he might as well just get to the point and see what they say.

     “You’re my soulmate.”

     “What are you talking about?” Hyde sounded so confused.

     “The marks on your head match mine.” Raph explained, “We’re meant to be together.”

     “Can-Can I see them?”

     Raph took off his mask, revealing the marks hidden underneath. There were golden marks that looked like a mirror image of the marks Hyde had seen on their own head a few days before. Well, saying as they were seen in a mirror, that would make them the same.

     “I can’t believe it.” Hyde muttered. Raph took it as a rejection, and tried to leave. He was surprised when Hyde grabbed his arm, trying to keep him there. “I’ve finally found you.”

     Raph smiled, and Hyde found themselves glad that their hopes had come around at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to have this finished by the end of the month.


	5. Walking Contradictions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyde is in way over their head, and so is Leo.  
> Lucky them their family is more than willing to help out.

     Hyde didn’t notice when the marks first appeared on their arm. It was almost like a cuff, but it felt more like art that was living on their skin. If anything, they felt more free because of it. Almost like it was an expression of their soul. They found themselves wondering about it. They thought of the way that the sharp lines curled around their skin, and the way that it shone in the light of the lair. Hours were spent tracing the sharp lines of the band. They found their heart soaring when they looked at it. They never bothered to hide it, and that had some interesting results of their own.

     The boys had their own reaction to Hyde and the newest addition to their form. Mikey had chuckled, before wishing Hyde good luck. Donnie had given them a surprisingly saucy wink. Something Hyde hadn’t expected. Raph had scoffed when he saw it, something Hyde saw coming a mile away, and Leo’s smile stretched wide when he saw it.

     After it’s discovery, Leo had invited Hyde for some extra sparring. Hyde was more than up for the challenge. They had used their own fighting style against the turtle. It was different from the martial arts that the turtles practiced, and Leo found that it was useful for training. He was still left sputtering when Hyde had smacked him in the face with their fluffy fox tail. Hyde’s face hurt with laughter by the time Leo had recovered. Honestly, they were a little shocked that their trick had worked so well, and taken a low fighting stance once again.

     The match went on, and both sides fought hard. Hyde was panting, trying to pin the elusive Leonardo to the floor. Instead, things were starting to look a bit one sided, and not in a way that Hyde liked. He had Hyde pressed against a solid wall. That’s when they managed to get a good look at his arm. Hidden by other tattoos, was the same tribal band that had shown up on Hyde’s fur with little fanfare, or explanation.

     They took the information with a grain of salt. If they had the same mark, that must mean something, and the fact that Leo felt the need to hide it means it’s something big. Hyde thought it better to find out on their own. They got up, and wandered into the kitchen for food. Donnie happened to be in the kitchen for his own meal run.

     “Oh, Hyde,” Donnie smiled, “Want some food? I was just about to heat something up.”

     “That sounds great right about now. Thanks.”

     “So, how do you like living here?”

     “It’s nice here. You guys have a good place.” Hyde affirmed. They looked Donnie over, wondering if he would be the right turtle to ask. They threw caution to the wind. If anyone would know, it would be the resident genius. “I’ve got a question for ya.”

     “What is it?” Donnie stuck some pizza into the oven, and leaned against the counter. His curiosity compelling him to give Hyde is undivided attention. That’s always a good sign. Then again, there isn’t much that guy isn’t curious about, given just what he spends all of his time doing.

     “You know this thing on my arm? Do you know why it’s there?” Hyde knew that it’s better to get to the point when they have to ask for help. It made more sense than dancing around a topic.

     “Oh, that’s a soul mark.” Donnie smiles like he’s been waiting for Hyde to ask. “It usually pops up when something important happens. Other times, it comes whenever it wants, but it always stays.”

     “Good to know... What’s a soul mark?”

     “It’s a way to find your soulmate.” Donnie answered, going back to his meal now that he knew that this was Hyde’s way of asking for some help through a game the two had started shortly after Hyde’s arrival.

     “Why do I feel all fluttery when I look at it?”

     “Everyone reacts differently.” Donnie thought for a second before taking a sip of coffee. “You know that I get a question in return for all of these right?” He took another gulp of the sweet caffeine that had given him life.

     “Yeah, yeah.” Hyde digressed, “I know the rules. Now, why does Leo have the same one?”

     Donnie spat a mouthful of hot coffee onto the floor. It dribbled down his chin, adding to the astonishment and realization that there’s a reason why Hyde’s mark looked so familiar. He had drawn the tattoos that Leo had asked for in order to conceal it in plain sight. Donnie was the one that had put those tattoos on his brother, and started the other work he had done for his family. He muttered something to himself before his eyes gleamed in that strange way they did when he was excited.

     “Dude, you’ve been standing in a puddle of coffee for a solid minute. Are you okay?” Hyde’s inquiry went right over Donnie’s head. His own mind was working furiously, trying to figure out the odds of his brother finding a soulmate, and somehow having the two living under the same roof. He had heard Leo muttering to himself in his sleep about it, but he figured it was nothing but sleep talk.

     He snapped back to the present when Hyde waved a furry hand in front of his face.

     “Sorry. I zoned out for a second. What was that?”

     “Dude, I asked you a question and you go all weird on me. What’s up with you?” Hyde’s no nonsense tone makes Donnie smile. Well, he can see why the two of them would match.

     “I don’t think that’s something I should tell you. You can ask Leo if you’d like.” Donnie was dodging the question, but Hyde let it drop. He left the kitchen, and remarked, “I’m sure he’d tell you if you do something for him.”

     He thought for a second. “I still want to ask those questions, but I think you should go think on this.” He gave them a plate of pizza, and walked into the other room. “I’ll get them later.”

     Donnie wasn’t planning to get them later. He was planning on playing matchmaker with soul marks as proof that it would work. He had been wondering about this for quite some time.

     That led to Hyde’s next question. What would Leo, Mr. Fearless-Leader-who-doesn’t-need-help-from-anyone want from Hyde of all people? He was every bit as stubborn as a mule. There’s no way he would need anything from Hyde. The more they thought about it, the more it stuck to their mind. Hyde couldn’t sleep at night. They didn’t eat much, and that was only when Mikey saw their full plate of pizza and asked about it. Hyde was chewing on things other than pizza. Like if they should confront Leo, or ask Splinter about it first.

     If Splinter finds out, then he might tip off Leo. If Leo finds out, that could be the end of everything. It’s not hard to tell that he forced himself into having the emotional range of a butter knife. Hyde continued to mull over ideas in their head.

     They looked up, and noticed that they were the only one left eating. They took a bite of the pizza and realized that it was cold. They shoved the rest of it in their mouth, and returned to their bed for another good think. Nowhere better to think than the comfort of your own bed.

     For the next few days, they found themselves not wanting to leave their nest of blankets. Naturally, that led to getting visits from their well meaning family members. They ended up taking breaks to entertain the turtles and Splinter when they came to call. Mostly, it was so that their family would believe them when they said that everything was fine.

     Everything was not fine. Nothing was fine. This whole thing was turning Hyde’s head upside down. They didn’t know if they could trust anyone with this question. Except maybe Mikey. He was always good with feelings. Maybe he could help.

     Hyde didn’t have to go far. It seemed like Mikey was going to check up on them either way. He was the most frequent visitor to Hyde’s self imposed isolation.

     “Hey, Hyde. You still in here, dude?”

     “Yup. I’m trying to figure something out.”

     “Really? I’ll bet Donnie could help you with that. He’s really good at that kind of stuff!” Mikey praised.

     “Actually, I was wondering if you would help me with this.”

     “I’d love to! Hold up, are you sure you’re doing okay?”

     “Yes, Mikey. I’m sure.” Hyde asserted, before taking a breath. “I’ve been thinking about this thing on my arm. I know it’s a soul mark, and I know that it should show me my soulmate, but there’s one question I don’t have an answer to.”

     “And what’s that?”

     “Why does Leo have the same mark on his arm?”

     “He does?!” Mikey gasped, “Oh yeah, he totally does! He told me not to tell you about it!”

     “Why would he do that?”

     “Holy shell, I shouldn’t have said that. You can’t tell him I told you!” Mikey whispered, leaning in closer, like a friendly conspirator. Hyde perked an ear in his direction, letting him know that they’re listening. “Leo has this major thing for you, but he doesn’t know what to do about it. He said that if you ever found out that he’s your soulmate then he might tell you, but you’ve gotta be careful, dude. He’s sharp. Nothing gets past him.”

     Hyde nodded. “Gotcha. So what do you think I should do? I’ve been thinking about it for days, but I can’t come up with a safe plan.”

     “Just talk to him. Warm him up a bit, and you’ll be fine.” Mikey nudged their shoulder with his own. A goofy smile sliding into place where it belonged on his face.

     “I’ll take your word for it.” Hyde hesitated, and Mikey pulled them off of their fluffy bed-haven and toward Leo, who was training as usual. Mikey pushed them forward and dashed off to do who knows what. Probably to tell the other two brothers.

     “Hey, Leo, what’s up?”

     “Training. How about you?” Leo didn’t stop his swords from singing through the air as he practiced his katas.

     “I was just wondering why we have the same mark on our arms.”

     Leo tensed. His eyes widened, and for a moment, Hyde thought he would deflect the implied question.

     “Have you ever heard of the red string of fate?”

     “Yeah, I’ve heard of it.” Hyde huffed, “What’s that got to do with these tattoos?”

     “It’s like that, but everyone can see them.”

     “So, you’re meant to be my other half?”

     “Yup.” Leo admitted before going on to the next exercise. He was being entirely too calm for Hyde’s liking.

     “That explains everything.” Hyde fumed.

     “Is there anything else you’d like to know?” Leo asked, abandoning his training in favor of dealing with his friend, who fate had decided to tie him to.

     “Yeah. Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

     “I don’t have to answer to you.” Leo snapped, “If anything, I should be asking you the questions. Why have you been avoiding everyone for the last week?”

     “I’ve been trying to deal with this bull-crap on my own.” Hyde hissed, their ears lowering until they were lying flat against the back of their head. A perfect match for the snarl on their snout.

     “You could have just asked me.” Leo barked.

     “I would have, if you weren’t so hard to talk to!” Hyde’s voice rose alongside Leo’s until they were both less than a foot from each other, shouting as loud as Leo would with Raph.

     “Maybe if you weren’t so stubborn, I would have come to you in the first place!” Hyde’s snippy remarks weren’t getting anywhere. Neither was the way their face seemed to be getting smaller the more they snarled.

     “I wanted you to be able to choose. I didn’t want to force you into anything!

     “Damn right, you didn’t want to force me. You can’t even see what’s right in front of you, CAN you?!”

     “I can see just FINE!”

     “Then how couldn’t you see that I  _ love _ you for crying out loud!”

     Leo froze, and watched as Hyde realized what they had just admitted. Their ears shot up, and Leo noticed that their face went from enraged to surprised and slightly terrified in less than a second.

     “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Hyde backed away. “Just forget I said anything.” With that, they dashed off into the depths of the lair. Leo knew that they wouldn’t go back to the nest of blankets that they had been holed up in for the last week. They would find somewhere else to hide, and wouldn’t be seen until they wanted to unless someone went and found them.

     They didn’t even realize that Leo was a second from saying the same thing. His mark pulsed in his arm, forcing him to run after Hyde. He would make this right. Hyde would know just how much he cared if it was the last thing he did.

     Leo dashed through the twists and turns of his home, trying to keep the red streak of fox in sight. They were fast when they wanted to be. Maybe they had been an athlete as a human. Either that, or it was a side effect of the mutation. Probably the latter, but either way. He had to catch up.

     Hyde turned to the left, and Leo smiled. That was where the drop was. He might be able to catch them if he played his cards right. He turned the corner in time to see Hyde jump at full speed, and land on the flat part of a pipe that really didn’t have much business being there.

     “HYDE!” Leo finally had them in one place. That would have to be good enough for now. He could talk to them like this. Otherwise, he knew that they would run until they escaped. They grasped the pipe that led into the brick and cement of the ceiling. They looked at him, and covered their fear with anger. They opened their mouth to talk, but Leo cut them off. He had to get this off of his chest, where the words had caught in his throat and festered there for too long.

     “I love you.”

     Leo’s voice faded over the space between them. Hyde tilted their head. Leo resolved to try again.

     “I LOVE YOU!” His voice bounced off of the walls, and down the way that they had come. There was no way that Hyde hadn’t heard him that time. They scowled at the gap between them and solid ground. Leo felt a place behind his ribs tighten. He already knew how they felt, but it was still nerve wracking to admit something like that.

     Hyde looked up, away from Leo, at the pipes clinging to the ceiling, and hoped that they would bear their weight. They climbed the pipe and reached the brickwork easily. They grabbed onto the thickest pipe they could reach and made their way over to safe ground. The pipe groaned under their weight, and the pipe slipped, just shy of the edge. Hyde didn’t have enough time to panic before Leo grabbed at their arm, and pulled them to safety.

     “You know, that was a really stupid thing to do.” Leo sat down, and dangled his legs over the edge of the pit.

     “Well, it’s not the only dumb thing I’ve done recently.” Hyde sat down beside him.

     “Have you been doing any other dangerous stunts lately?”

     “Yeah.” Hyde swatted at Leo with their tail. He laughed, and they continued. “I have to admit that I’ve been harboring feelings for you.”

     “Oh, no.” Leo joked, “The most dangerous thing of all.” He wiggled his fingers in mock freight and shifting his voice to a spooky tone. “Fee~eelings.”

     They spent the rest of the night laughing, and telling each other about the odd lengths that they had gone to in order to avoid this very conversation that they knew would happen eventually.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: "I want to have this done by the end of the month!"  
> Life: "Good luck with that."  
> School: *drops a midterms in my lap* "Have fun!"  
> Me: "Shit."


	6. Healing Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyde's mark shows up, and they have no idea why it's there.  
> They end up getting hurt while training with Leo and Raph, and Donnie is the one who patches them up.  
> Little do they know, Donnie is itching for some information, and Hyde is just the fox for the job.

     Hyde wasn’t doing anything unusual. They were weaving strings together into patterns for a blanket. It was the first one, and the design that they had made was complicated enough to make it a long process. They were probably only a few long strips of cloth away from finishing it, and proudly displaying it on top of their blanket nest that they called a bed. They ended up twisting the fabric together for the next few hours. When it was finally finished, they wormed their way under the top layers, and fell asleep with the comforting weight of the new blanket on top.

     When Hyde woke up, they knew that something was different. They didn’t want to leave their comfortable nest of blankets, even when Mikey tried to bribe them with pizza. He had found out their favorite toppings a little while ago, and had skipped around the lair getting the smell of it all over the place. This had managed to get Hyde out of the safe blanket nest and out into the rest of the lair for a while, and Mikey was glad that his plan had worked.

     Mikey gasped when he saw what rested on the back of their hand. A small mark that he knew he had seen before. He just couldn’t remember where. Mikey ran off to get Master Splinter. If Mikey knew the picture, he was sure that his father would be able to help him find out where he had seen it before. He doesn’t say anything to Hyde about it. Instead, Mikey quietly asks his father about the glowing strings of light that had settled in Hyde’s fur.

     When Splinter finally understands his sons’ frantic whispering, he smiles. It seems that Hyde had finally done something important enough to warrant a mark coming to the surface. This needed something special, but he knew that if he made a big deal out of it, his sons were sure to notice, and Splinter wanted to look at it before they swarmed the fox mutant with questions. Something as exciting as this couldn’t wait. He thanked Mikey for telling him, and let him know that he was going to talk to Hyde.

     When Splinter found them slumped on the couch, he sat close by.

     “Is there something wrong, child?”

     “It’s nothing, really. Just this headache.” Hyde presses their palm against their forehead, feeling for something unusual. “Oh yeah, and there’s this thing.” They wave their hand around, “I don’t know where it came from, but it’s kinda bugging me.”

     “May I see it?” Splinter asked, offering a hand to examine the pattern in question.

     Hyde let the old rat look at the back of their hand, and Splinter peered at the pattern shining on their fur. “What about it is bothering you?”

     “It’s distracting.”

     “Would you like to cover it up?” Splinter releases their hand.

     Hyde twists their hand around. “Do you think it would help?”

     “It might help to wrap it up until we find out what happened.” Splinter smiled at the fox mutant. He wouldn’t say anything about it being a soul mark until Hyde asked about it. They were a smart mutant. They would figure it out sooner or later. That and Splinter felt that it wouldn’t be fair to his son who he had noticed keeping a close eye on the fox mutant since the start of their stay in the lair. “I will get something to wrap it with.”

     Splinter got up and retrieved the wrappings, very much aware of his sons lurking in the shadows of their home.

     By the time Hyde’s hands were wrapped, they were more curious about what the strange markings that had shown up on their skin meant. They hadn’t heard anything about things like that happening out of nowhere. Usually there was some sort of event that triggered it, but they couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary.

     Their head was still hurting, so they went to grab a drink of water before settling down for a nap once again. They figured that it wouldn’t take long until the bandages became something that wouldn’t bother them at all. Besides, it was better to train with your hands wrapped.

     The next time Hyde wakes up, it’s not because of food, or one of the brothers. It’s because they have energy. They try to go back to sleep. The headache is still there, even if it has faded, but they get out of bed anyway. They drink more water, and ask Donnie if there are any pain meds they can take. He gives them an ibuprofen. It won’t help much, but it’s better than nothing, and he needs to save the harder stuff for when someone gets hurt.

     Hyde wanders around the lair, wondering what they should do. When they sit down, they fidget, and their foot taps quick patterns onto the floor. Restlessness creeps up on them, and they end up pacing.

     “Hey, if you’ve got that much energy, let’s train.” Hyde is snapped out of their thoughts when Leo stands close to where they pace. “It might do you some good... Especially if you want to go topside any time soon.”

     “Sure. I could use the workout.” Hyde looks to where the others are. “Should we see if the others want to join us?”

     “I think Splinter is talking to them about something.” Leo tries to be nonchalant about it, but even though Hyde hasn’t been here long, they know that when Splinter has something to say to most of his sons, he usually tells all of them.

     “If Splinter’s talking to them, wouldn’t you be in there with them?” Leo steps onto the mats, and Hyde follows.

     “He already talked to me about it. Besides, you seem like you could use a distraction.” Leo smiles, readying himself for a good spar.

     Hyde smiles, and another brutal training session begins.

\----------------------

     Meanwhile, in the other room, Splinter is telling his sons about the mark that Mikey had noticed. Mikey ended up saying that it was on their hand, but Splinter refused to describe it, saying that if they wanted to know what it looked like then they could ask Hyde about it. Splinter didn’t look directly at Donatello when he said that. Only a passing glance. However, the turtles knew that he wouldn’t be telling them if it wasn’t one of them. Splinter knew more about these soul marks than any of the boys did, and that lead them to think it might be one of them.

     Donnie was the only one who really hoped that it was him. He had been keeping an eye on Hyde, and he had noticed just how graceful they are when they move, and how they look when they’re concentrated. It wasn’t hard to see that Donnie was hoping that it matched the markings that lay underneath his own wrappings. After all, he also knew that none of his brothers had a mark on their hand.

     In spite of all that excitement, Donnie did what he always did. He went back to his lab to distract himself with work. After all, there are still things that need to be fixed, and Donnie was the turtle for the job. Mikey goes off to do whatever Mikey does when he’s bored, and Raph leaves to train, as usual. Instead of the usual weights, he goes into the dojo.

     Donnie doesn’t think to be suspicious. He’s too busy welding two pieces of metal together to fix the side of the toaster.

\-------------------

     When Raph joins in, the training only gets tougher. Hyde knows that it’s for their own good, and that the whole point is to get better, but they find that they can’t quite keep up with the turtles who have been doing this since they were small children.

     Leo calls it off when Hyde’s hand slips on something sharp. They find one of the knives on their belt dripping with red, and Hyde is ushered into the lab, where Donnie is working on some sort of metal.

     When the trio reaches the lab, Donnie turns with the commotion, and slides easily into the roll of family doctor, as he has many times before. He unwraps their injured hand. The same hand with the marking on the back. The gauze is soaked in blood, and he doesn’t like what he sees. It’s not a bad cut. Hyde curses their moment of clumsiness. Leo tells them that they’ll probably need a few stitches, but it’s nothing that isn’t easily fixed.

     Donnie starts his whole lecture about how they need to be more careful after Donnie is told what happened, Donnie gathers the tools that he needs and gets to work. Neither Donnie, nor Hyde notices when Leo and Raph slip out of the lab and into the living room.

     Less than an hour later, Hyde’s hand is patched up, and Donnie makes it a point to tell them not to do anything drastic. No training until it’s healed, and it’s better not to do anything with their hands. They sigh, and agree. Donnie lets them go, and they leave the lair, but not before Donnie catches sight of something familiar.

     “Hey, do you mind if I take a look at that?” He asks, hoping that it’s what he thinks it is.

     “Uh, sure.” Hyde walks back over and takes a seat in front of Donnie. “I’m not sure what it is, but it showed up earlier today.”

     Donnie turns their injured hand over, only to see the same pattern that lay hidden under his own bandages.

     When he explains just what it is, and shows Hyde his own matching mark, they look shocked. They don’t say anything for a solid minute while they digest the new information. That was the longest minute that Donnie can remember off of the top of his head.

     Hyde moves before they speak. They wrap Donnie in a hug, and all he hears is a quiet whisper.

     “Thank goodness.” Hyde’s voice is soft and Donnie feels himself melting at the sound of it.

     “Yeah.” He wraps his arms around them. “You could say that again.”

     The moment was broken when Mikey darted into the lab, only to catch his brother with his arms around his friend. Mikey can’t help the ‘awwww’ that slips out. The pair jumps apart, and Donnie sends his brother a glare before Mikey smiles and runs out of the lab for some less threatening mischief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it is finally done! Woo!  
> Just in time for my brain to get in on some of these other stories I'm writing.


End file.
